


Cardinals, Penguins, and Blue Jays

by FlowersOnMyMind



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: 1990s, 1992, Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), M/M, Mild Language, Richie Tozier & Stanley Uris Are Best Friends, Romance, Stanlon - Freeform, The Losers are 16 here, bichie - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 04:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21469720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlowersOnMyMind/pseuds/FlowersOnMyMind
Summary: Billbenbev asked: Are you still taking prompts? If you are, then here's a stanlon kind-of-bichie prompt: Stan has a crush on Mike for God knows how long, so Bill and Richie decide to help him out by giving him (terrible) advice and telling stories of how they got together (which was probably very unconventional).It took me a while, but I did it! I hope this is okay!
Relationships: Bill Denbrough/Richie Tozier, Mike Hanlon/Stanley Uris
Comments: 9
Kudos: 45





	Cardinals, Penguins, and Blue Jays

**Author's Note:**

> ~Finally, wrote this! Sorry it took so long, billbenbev. I hope this is okay! I pulled some things from the book, like Stan's love of birds/bird watching and his bird book.~

"Stan, Stanley, Stan the man, Staniel, Stannabell, Stanna-Marie!" 

"Oh my God, what?!" He looks to Richie, who is leaned back in the desk chair, his foot thrown up on the corner of the desk. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"Nothing." He turns his attention back to his Geometry textbook. 

"I bet I can tell what you were thinking about!" Richie twirls a pencil between his fingers. 

"You're an idiot." 

"I'm going to make you eat your words!" 

Stan rolls his eyes. "Alright, fine. Go ahead, Trashmouth. Guess what I was thinking."

"You're thinking about a certain farm boy we all know and love!" 

Stan jerks his head up and Richie cackles like a maniac. 

"I-I was not!"

Richie continues laughing and Stan feels his cheeks grow hot. "H-how did you k-know?"

"Stop stuttering. That's Bill's thing. Well, only when he gets nervous. But that's beside the point! It's obvious you have the hots for Mike."

"Oh my God, no, no, no, no!"

"Hey," Richie sits up, "Stan, calm down. It's okay." 

"No, not it's not! Do you think Mike knows?"

"No way. He's too oblivious. Like you are with his feelings for you."

"Mike could never have feelings for me," Stan says so softly Richie almost didn't catch it. He's looking at a picture of a cylinder in the textbook to avoid eye contact with his friend. 

"Why not?"

"Look at me. I'm nothing special." He traces a triangle on the page. 

Richie gets up and walks over to Stan quickly. He sits on the edge of his bed. "Don't say that! You're fucking adorable! Your curls? To die for! And you're smart! And you have you're own weird sense of humor we all love. You're badass, Stan." 

Stan grins, his heart swelling at his best friend's words. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Rich."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it, asshole." He hears the light-hearted tone in his friend's voice. Stan looks up, his smile growing. 

"You should tell him." 

Stan sits up. "Are you fucking crazy?!" 

"Why not? He's totally in love with you. I have it all planned out! You make a sign saying how much you love him and hold it up at his next game!" 

Stan shoves Richie, almost sending the other boy to the floor. "That's stupid! And I'd get my ass kicked in front of the entire school. I'd rather not die at a football game, thank you very much!"

"Okay, okay, so you're obsessed with birds, right, so this is what you do..."

"Stop, stop," Stan shakes his head, holding his hand up. "If any of your ideas include birds just forget them." 

"Aw, that cuts out more than half!"

"I don't even want to know what they were!"

"They're great ideas!"

"I'm not listening to you anymore! How does Bill put up with you?"

"Because Big Bill loves me!"

"Unfortunately, I do." They both turn to see Bill standing in the doorway. He smiles, walking over to them. Stan watches as he leans down, Richie lifting his chin so they can kiss. He looks away, swallowing. 

It's not that Stan isn't happy for his friends, he is, but he wants that...with Mike. 

"What's going on?" Bill asks, sitting next to Richie. Richie takes hold of his hand, entwining their fingers. Stan can't help but notice how Bill's thumb caresses the expanse of Richie's hand. "I heard you two yelling from down the hall."

"I'm telling Stan all my ideas of how he can confess his undying love for our farm boy." 

"Did you tell him about the one with the feathers?"

"Feathers?!" Stan shouts. 

Richie pouts. "I didn't get the chance. He told me if any involve birds, then he doesn't want to hear them." 

"Hm," Bill hums, before his face brightens, "Oh! You could ask him to go to the movies to see the new Alien movie and during a scary part, hold his hand!" 

"Good idea!" Richie exclaims. Bill blushes under his boyfriend's praise. 

"Pass!"Stan shouts. 

"Right, okay, okay. You could buy him some flowers and write your feelings down for him in a card!"

"That's almost as bad as Richie's idea! No wonder you two are perfect for each other! You're both idiots!" He falls back on his bed. "I know I'm going to regret asking this, but how did you two get together?"

Richie and Bill look at each other and smile. It's Bill who speaks, "It just sort of happened. We were at my house. We had rented movies and Richie was going to spend the night - "

" - Bill was too busy watching me instead of the movie -" 

"- Richie looked at me and then we just kissed."

"And then we told each other how we were madly in love with one another and couldn't live another second without the other knowing!" Richie exclaims, voice dramatically dreamy as he falls back against Bill's chest. Bill chuckles, wrapping his arm around his boyfriend. Richie holds Bill's hand over his chest, smiling up at the other teen. 

"You two are so disgustingly cute, it makes me sick." 

"You're just jealous," teases Bill. 

"What movie was playing when you kissed?"

"Star Wars," Bill answers. 

"That's not even romantic!"

"Well, we watched Dirty Dancing afterward and Bill tried to lift me up like Johnny does to Baby."

"Oh my God," Stan groans covering his face with his hands, "I don't even want to know how that ended!"

"You don't," Bill admits. "My mom is still mad at what happened to the coffee table."

"And her vase," Richie adds.

"Idiots," mumbles Stanley.

"Don't worry, Stannie! You and Mike will be all over each like white on rice soon enough!" Richie exclaims. 

Stan whacks him with a pillow and since he and Bill are one, he hits Bill too. "Say that a little louder, my father who is downstairs and a Rabbi didn't hear you." 

Bill reaches over and pats his leg. "It'll all work out, Stan." 

Stan rolls his eyes and kicks Richie just for fun. 

Stan's favorite hobby is bird watching. He brings his bird book along with him and sits in the park or woods for hours at a time. He likes to go alone or with his dad. And Mike. Sometimes Mike joins him. When Mike joins him, Mike asks which bird is which and Stan always tells him, gives him too much information that Mike most likely doesn't care about, but Mike smiles and nods his head as he listens. And he's always quiet because Stan told him you have to be quiet when bird watching. So, he stays silent or whispers. And Stan thinks that's very sweet. 

So, on this fine spring morning, Stan finds himself at the park. He's seated on his favorite bench, under the shade of a giant oak tree. The large fountain in the center of the park not too far away. It attracts all kinds of birds wanting a drink or a bath or even just to rest. A cardinal is perched on the edge of the fountain. Stan has his bird book open to the section on cardinals, even though he knows the entire book by heart. Someone sits on the bench next to him and it takes him a few seconds to take his eyes off his bird. Mike is grinning warmly at him, which Stan returns. 

"Good morning," Mike says gently. 

"Morning," Stan replies as he returns his attention to the bird. He watches as it gets a drink and grins. He feels his book slides out of his lap. 

Stan watches Mike flip through the pages. Usually, Mike takes his time; looks at the pictures thoroughly, skims over the pages and sometimes reads whole sections on which kinds he finds particularly interesting. But Mike is going through the pages too quickly. 

"Everything okay, Mike?"

Mike looks up at him. "Uh, yeah, yeah." He looks back down at the book and flips through a dozen pages within just a few seconds. Still, Stan watches. And anxiety creeps into his chest, wrapping its icy claws around his heart. _What if Mike knows about my stupid crush? What if freaking Richie said something to him? No, Richie wouldn't betray me like that. Maybe I've been too obvious and Mike figured it out himself? Maybe he's here to tell me we can't be friends anymore. I'll have to leave the Losers Club. I won't have any friends. Well, I'll still have Richie and by default Big Bill._

"Hey, Stan," Mike says, bringing Stan from his panicked thoughts. Stan looks at him, waiting for the blow. 

"Yes?"

"Um, so you probably already know this, but um, male Gentoo penguins and Adelie penguins too, search through piles and piles of pebbles to find the perfect one. When they find it, they give it their intended mate they want to be with." Mike slips his hand into his pocket and pulls something out. He lays it on the bench between them. 

It's a rock. A smooth one by the looks of it. Smooth, and a red-purple color. 

When Stan looks up, Mike is looking at him, eyes full of fear. "Mike..." Stan whispers, all words leaving him. _I have to be dreaming. This can't be happening. It's too good to be true._

Mike looks down at his lap. Stan watches him toy with his fingers nervously. Stan picks up the rock, runs his thumb over it. It is smooth. He wonders how long it took for Mike to find it and how much research he did on birds and penguins. "It's pretty," he says, making Mike look at him quickly, hope shining in his eyes. 

"Really?"

Stan nods. "I accept." 

Mike scoots closer to him. "Really?"

"Yes," Stan chuckles. 

Mike opens his mouth to speak, but Stan beats him to it. "Stop asking me _really_ and kiss me, Michael." 

Mike swallows as he lifts his hand to Stan's cheek, cupping his jaw gently. He leans in, pressing their lips together. Stan worries his heart is going to burst from his chest with how fast and hard it's beating. But soon, the kiss is over, Mike's hand falling from Stan's jaw. They chuckle shyly, looking away for a brief moment before meeting each other's eyes again. 

"So, does this mean we're..."

"Lifelong mates?" Stan asks. "We'll see. But for now, I would like to call you...my boyfriend."

Mike laughs. "I'd like that very much." He takes Stan's hand in his, lacing their fingers together. Stan can't help but think of how nicely they fit together. 

"We'll definitely give Richie and Bill a run for their money." 

Stan laughs. "Hell yeah! We're cuter than they are." 

Mike kisses his cheek, making Stan's cheek go red. 

"Look a Blue Jay," Mike whispers, pointing to the fountain. The Blue Jay is beautiful. And Stan's favorite bird. But for now, he would rather watch his boyfriend.

**Author's Note:**

> ~Let me know what y'all thought! Come talk to me on Tumblr: FlowersOnMyMind1016. My asl box is always open and feel free to message me!~


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